TRANSURANIC AND TRACER SIMULANT RESUSPENSION 249 



100 



10 



o 



LU 



I 



< 



to 



< 



10' 



-| — I I I 



I I I I I I 1 1 1 — I — I — i—T-r 



O East side of U-Pond 1 ,„^ 



L 480-m site 



A West side of U-Pond [ separation 



I ti — I 



238 



Pu <r 



-^ 239p^ 



1 limits 



J I I I 



J 1 I I I I I I 



10" 



10" 



10" 



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-5 



AVERAGE AIRBORNE PLUTONIUM FLUX, /LiCi m'^ day"'' 



Fig. 1 Airborne ^ ^ ' Pu and ^ ^ ^ Pu fluxes on nonrespirable particles at Hanford U-Pond 

 during Feb. 27 to Nov. 1 0, 1975 (particles collected in cowls). 



similar to the Rocky Flats data. However, the U-Pond data show that the nonrespirable 

 plutonium flux extends at least up to 30 m above ground level. Also, there was a greater 

 airborne plutonium flux east of the U-Pond than west of the U-Pond. This is to be 

 expected since prevailing winds are from the west. 



At the U-Pond the airborne "^Pu flux ranged from 10"^ to 10"^ /iCim"^ day"^ 

 which is within the midrange of 10"^ to about 10~^ ^.C\ m~^ day~^ measured at 

 Rocky Flats. Similarly, the ^^^Pu flux at the U-Pond ranged from about 10^^ to 

 10"^ /LzCi m"^ day"^ , which is within the 10"'' to 10~^ /jCi m"^ day"^ measured at 

 Rocky Flats. The bracketing of the nonrespirable airborne particle fluxes near the U-Pond 

 and at Rocky Flats even within three to four orders of magnitude may be coincidental 

 since surface sources and other factors are pecuHar to each site. 



The on-site data reported are the first results to quantify the range of nonrespirable 

 airborne plutonium fluxes. Ground contamination on nonrespirable particles at both sites 



